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Susan Boyle vs Taylor Swift for Billboard’s No. 1

LOUISIANA - Two of music’s leading ladies are about to meet again on the charts.

Susan Boyle, who finished 2009 with the year’s second-biggest selling album according to Nielsen SoundScan, is eyeing the No. 1 slot on the Billboard 200 next week.

Standing in her way? The woman who took home last year’s best-seller, Taylor Swift.

Boyle’s second album, “The Gift,” released Nov. 9, is headed for a start of around 250,000 copies sold by week’s end on Nov. 14, according to industry prognosticators.

However, Swift’s current No. 1, “Speak Now,” may also sell about the same number.

It’s a bit early in the week to call the race, especially considering how Swift will perform on Wednesday night’s Country Music Association Awards — which are always a catalyst for music sales.

Because Boyle’s appeal is likely focused with older consumers, her album’s fortunes may improve over the weekend when families and grandparents are out shopping at their local big box retailer.

Boyle’s debut set, “I Dreamed a Dream,” blasted in at No. 1 a little under a year ago with 701,000 sold in its first week according to SoundScan. It spent six weeks atop the list.

“Dream” closed out 2009 with 3.1 million sold, just a little over 100,000 copies behind the year’s best-seller: Swift’s “Fearless” which topped off at 3.2 million.

Other albums heading for a high arrival on next week’s Billboard 200 include Reba McEntire’s “All the Women I Am,” Bon Jovi’s “Greatest Hits,” the “Now 36” compilation, Cee Lo Green’s “The Lady Killer,” Elvis Presley’s “Viva Elvis,” Alter Bridge’s “AB III” and Kid Cudi’s “Man on the Moon 2: the Legend of Mr. Rager.”